Authors: Ali Fujino
Date Submitted: July 31, 2009
Article Type: Discourse

Scott Skinner and I launched the Drachen Foundation in 1994, incorporated as a private educational nonprofit. This began an incredible journey, one which neither of us had any direct experience in or idea of what would be the outcome. What did it actually mean to be a kite foundation?

Our start was an idealistic and energetic approach to doing it all. We staged programs throughout the world in almost all formats – festivals, exhibitions, research, lectures, publications, seminars – and got to know the world of kiting. Having made the conscious decision NOT to be a formal museum, we staged some of the most impressive on-site exhibits in some of the most prestigious institutions. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, to name one, displayed the largest Japanese kite we own, 45 feet long. Loving the kite in exhibition, we developed 7 touring exhibitions for rent, and found a market that covered not only the United States with kites, but also Asia and Europe.

We taught teachers, artists, and professionals how to use kites in their daily schedules. Now, even the world renowned artist Francisco Toledo, of Mexico, has started his own kite collection.

Page Number: 34
PDF Link: Discourse Issue